Training 2023 Pre-season thread

[Viceregal]

Rayner is also noticeably thicker than he was last preseason, and not really in an athletic sense.

Meaning his body is more mature rather than carrying too much blubber?

 

[briztoon]

So on the younger players - any stand out?

Off the top of my head:

How did Ashcroft and Fletcher look?
First impressions of Brain?
How did Sharp's disposal look?
Blake's running still poor but did he look more confident and involved?
Anyone seem to have gone away and really worked on weaknesses or built on strengths?

Meaning his body is more mature rather than carrying too much blubber?

Back at work today, I should be able to reply tonight.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

Back at work today, I should be able to reply tonight.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

I don’t think it’s a team wide thing. As others have mentioned Rich, Zorko, Cockatoo etc all look to be in terrific nick comparatively to where they were last year. All I was comparing was how Cam returned after his reco and how diligent he was with that and getting into the shape of his life whereas it looks like those standards have dropped a little. Is that a little harsh? Maybe. But when you get paid $500k+ pa your job is to uphold those standards.

Anyway there is still plenty of time before round 1 to get right and like I said we need this guy to take the next step for us, because you could argue on talent alone he’d be top 5-6 on our list. I think he’ll bust his **** and be good to go once we get serious and round 1 rolls around.

Yeh, plenty of time to focus and get into top shape.
What is it over 3 months.
Let's hope he's had a great break and mentally primed to dominate.
He should still have a descent fitness base , you'd think ,so shouldn't take too long to get back to where he was and then hopefully the next step.
let's see how he is after Xmas.

 

[briztoon]

So on the younger players - any stand out?

Off the top of my head:

How did Ashcroft and Fletcher look?
First impressions of Brain?
How did Sharp's disposal look?
Blake's running still poor but did he look more confident and involved?
Anyone seem to have gone away and really worked on weaknesses or built on strengths?

Ashcroft had a very laid back attitude in the drills.

He was doing some individual running with one of the coaches late in the session.

Fletcher wasn’t part of yesterday’s training, and didn’t see him.

Can’t say I focused on Sharp’s disposal.

Blake was as involved in the drills, but he didn’t stand out to me.

One we didn’t mention yesterday was Tunstill. He stood out in some of the kicking and running drills.

Other than that it was McKenna who stood out physically, skill wise, and running.

 

[Quigley]

Ashcroft had a very laid back attitude in the drills.

He was doing some individual running with one of the coaches late in the session.

Fletcher wasn’t part of yesterday’s training, and didn’t see him.

Can’t say I focused on Sharp’s disposal.

Blake was as involved in the drills, but he didn’t stand out to me.

One we didn’t mention yesterday was Tunstill. He stood out in some of the kicking and running drills.

Other than that it was McKenna who stood out physically, skill wise, and running.

Cheers.

If Tunstill tidies up his skills he could challenge for a spot.

 

[Surly Boy]

Hippy re-signs for 6 years...

 

[Cubs2Lions]

Hippy re-signs for 6 years...

 

[BRAB]

Hippy re-signs for 6 years...

So exciting that I’ll never have to change my avatar.

Congrats Mighty Lions. Not many can say that their son is a lions legend.

 

[martinson]

6 year deal seems to have been met with some incredulity on SM . They're asking who ??

I suppose good tall forwards are hard to come by.

 

[Section 5]

A 6-year deal gets him to 31 years old.
Very happy he has resigned just would prefer one year shorter to 30 years old
However, contracts don't appear to stop players from moving on or clubs moving on players
He still had one year to go on his old contract, so now he can concentrate on footy for the year

Hipwood Stays Loyal To Lions

Hipwood, who still had one year to run on his previous contract, has put pen to paper on the new deal following a strong finals series for the Lions in season 2022.

www.lions.com.au

 

[Sherrinator]

Good news. Keeps a local boy on, keeps us rich in tall forwards and most importantly keeps our culture strong. Thought he was rock solid this season so I don’t see why SM fools are carrying on about it since these deals are carried out to fit in with our yearly salary cap constraints.

 

[briztoon]

Post on FB from one of the player sponsors who was at yesterday’s meet and greet, saying that Adams is still having blurred vision and suffering from dizziness, and the club has adopted a slow and steady approach to his recovery.

 

[BrizzyBandit]

Post on FB from one of the player sponsors who was at yesterday’s meet and greet, saying that Adams is still having blurred vision and suffering from dizziness, and the club has adopted a slow and steady approach to his recovery.



That'terrible news. I hope he's OK.

 

[Warwick]

Really appreciate all the insight briztoon and Dalions. Cheers.

RE comments about Rayner, I wonder if thoughts like "oh we've had such a great trade period and draft, now all we have to do is turn up and it's all just gonna happen for us" might pervade into the group. Time will tell I guess.

Bloody hell. Can we at least wait until the first quarter of the first game like we usually do?

 

[Grasshopper17]

Bloody hell. Can we at least wait until the first quarter of the first game like we usually do?

In fairness our first quarter this season was incredibly underwhelming. From both teams if I recall correctly. I'm not sure if anything actually happened? Darcy Fort kicked a goal maybe?

 

[Sproj]

This is concerning for Adams for sure, sounds like if true, his career has to be in EXTREME doubt. Looks like Payne will get his extended run but probably not the way anyone would have liked.

 

[rye]

6 year deal seems to have been met with some incredulity on SM . They're asking who ??

I suppose good tall forwards are hard to come by.

our own supporters were demanding he be dropped in the fb comments section this year

 

[briztoon]

our own supporters were demanding he be dropped in the fb comments section this year

Pretty sure that discussion was had on here as well.

 

[Clarkythelion]

Post on FB from one of the player sponsors who was at yesterday’s meet and greet, saying that Adams is still having blurred vision and suffering from dizziness, and the club has adopted a slow and steady approach to his recovery.

Probably too early yet, but still with blurred vision one might suggest this could go the way of Justin Clarke or at least a year on the long term injury list. That would give the Lions list space - Briz, what are our options there? does a rookie get elevated or can we still bring someone from outside onto the list?

 

[Nunez]

Probably too early yet, but still with blurred vision one might suggest this could go the way of Justin Clarke or at least a year on the long term injury list. That would give the Lions list space - Briz, what are our options there? does a rookie get elevated or can we still bring someone from outside onto the list?

Riley Greene would have to be a big consideration. Wonder if he's training with the boys.

 

[JasRulz63]

Ethan Phillips didn't get being picked up did he?

 

[Dalions]

Riley Greene would have to be a big consideration. Wonder if he's training with the boys.

Riley Greene was there on Wednesday avo.

 

[Dalions]

I am guessing that Tom Fullarton will train with the backs for a bit this pre-season again. For a bit of backup.

Being light on for KP depth doesn’t help the situation.

 

[Tom14]

Pretty sure that discussion was had on here as well.

It certainly was. And again, I like to think that team 'whats the point of him playing VFL' was proven correct by his performances in the first 2 finals.

More broadly I'm not really in favour of such a long deal, but Eric is our only forward who consistently plays who isn't pushing 30. Every other key position player who was coming in to their FA period had already re-signed for presumably a heap more money than he got (eg Curnow, McKay) and a similarly long number of years.

We won't be in a position to draft a KPP high in at least the next 2 drafts presumably (unless we finsh with a draft pick ahead of a Levi Ashcroft bid in 2024) so we couldn't afford to lose him. I'm guessing that the money is good but not crazy, and at the end of the day players can be traded in contract if need be.

I think he'll come good and be a really solid key forward just as he showed in the back half of last year and in games early in 2021 where we was just about our most consistent forward player.